The first edition of the Al-Hanith Festival in Mahayel Asir concluded yesterday, drawing more than 15,000 visitors from across the Kingdom and beyond. Organized by the Mahayel Asir Municipality at Sadr Al-Karama Square in Al-Heelah Park, the 10-day festival featured a wide variety of events that highlighted "Al-Hanith" — a traditional slow-cooked dish — as part of Asir's cultural heritage.

Varied Events Draw Thousands

The festival featured innovative demonstrations of how to prepare the famous "Al-Hanith" dish, alongside:

  • Training workshops: introducing visitors to methods of preparing Al-Hanith.
  • Participation by home-based businesses: showcasing traditional local products and methods of preparing folk dishes.
  • Cultural and literary evenings: highlighting the importance of Al-Hanith in Saudi heritage.
  • Sales outlets: enabling participants to market their products.

Promising Economic and Tourism Opportunities

The Al-Hanith Festival seeks to achieve several important objectives, including:

  • Supporting the local economy and boosting food security.
  • Turning Al-Hanith into an attractive tourism and cultural product.
  • Highlighting traditional dishes as a source of investment opportunities.

The festival also supports Asir region's ambition to become a global tourism destination, striking a balance between development and preserving its heritage and long-standing social traditions.

Asir's Strategy: Strengthening Cultural Identity

The festival is part of Asir region's strategy to leverage its comparative advantages, such as folk dishes and handicrafts, to empower the local community and boost the region's standing as a leading tourism destination that reflects the richness of Saudi culture.